Improvement in machines for making hay



UNITED STATES PATENT J; c. STODDA'ED, or woEcESTEE, MSASSAcEUsETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR MAKING HAY.

Speciiication forming part of Letters Patent No. 24B,5, dated June 28, i859.

To all 'whom t't may concern:

Be it known that l, J. C. STODDARD, of

NVorcester, in the county of Worcester and a plan view of the machine. Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken through the machine from front to rear, showing an interior view of the rakingarrangement with the partsall arranged in their proper relation for making hay. Fig.`

4 is a cross-section of the cylinder containing the rakes, showing themin the position when the in achine is to be used for a horse-ra ke. Fig. 5 is a perspectiveview-of one rake-head and its teeth detached from the cylinder.

The nature of my invention consists in a peculiar construction ot' the raking apparatus within a drum, so that the entangling of the hay about the tincs is effectually obviated, and so that the rakescan be readily arranged wit-hin the cylinder and the machine converted into a horserake, as hereinafter described and rep resented.

The rakes are applied to a carriage, whic-h is composed of two wheels, A A, revolving upon an axle-tree, B. y

C is the frame of the carriage, which is carried out to form the thills D D, and tothe frame are fixed two springs proceeding up a suitable distance above the l'rame and supporting the drivers seat E.

F F are two arms or levers7 having their fulcra outside of the frame C upon the axle-tree B, which proceed out in front ot' the frame a suitable distance to be operated by the foot ot' the driver. These levers are carried out in rear kot the machine, and serve as bearings for `the rake drum G, which constitutes a part of my invention.v The rea-r ends of the levers are su pported by two adjustable'shoes, H H, which are pivoted toV the right-angular portion of the levers, and have screw-,bolts c a passing through the necks of the shoes H, and through the levers. 'l he screw-bolts are provided with righ tand-left screws forrxng the Shoes in any desired position with relation to the rakingdrum G.

I is a spring-arm provided with a wedgepiece on its outer surface, which forms a latch and holds the levers, with the rahes, free from the ground when it is necessary to cease the Operation ofthe machine, and by simply drawing this arm so as to relieve thelatch the drum drops upon the ground by its own gravity, and the raking commences. An arrangement may be attached to the front of the platform and placed under the control of the driver for holding the raking-drum in a lixed position during the operation of raking orniaking hay; but this will be optional in the construction and use of the machine, and not necessary to describe.

The drum i'or carrying the rahes is composed of a shaft oraxle, J, and two cylinder-heads,

K K, fixed to the axle near its ends. The axle projects out from either nside of the heads K, and rests in bearings formed-on the ends of ievers F Il. Between these bearings and the drum-heads K on the axle J are two pulleywheels, L L, keyed to the axle, and over which pass bands N, which are carried over large driving-pulleys on the sides of wheels A A. These bands are kept tight around the pulleys by an adjustable friction-wheel, c, fixed to the levers, and under which the bands pass. Only one ot' these bands may he necessary for rotating the drum, and only one is shown in the drawings. The drum-heads I( are surrounded by a sheetnietal cylinder, G, and the -raltes are inclosed,

within 'this cylinder. These rakes, or the rakeheads d, have square portionse formed on either end, as clearly shown by Fig. 5 of the drawings, andthese tit into slots fj' on the inside ot' either drum-head K, which are enlarged near the axle J, so as to allow the square portions e e to turn therein. The rakes are'all placed within these slots, between the twodrumheads, so that their tines or teeth will project through slotsg g in the cylinder l. They are then iixed in their 'positions by pins which pass through the heads and into their ends, and in these positions the machine is used for haymaking, and the advantage is as follows: The cylinder serves as a perfect guard to prevent the hay from entangling itself in the tines ot' the rake, and thereby stop the rotation ofthe rnkes, as is frequently the case with the machines in use. Atthe same timethe properelastietyof the teeth is preserved and the hay more thoroughlyseparated. Atthesametimebythis arrungementl A 1n enabled to converte hay-meking machine into :L hay-rakebyasimpleehange ofthe pnrtstls follows: The tinesotoneruke are made nlneh longer than those ot' the others. as rep1e.-ented b. Figs. 3 and 4, R being tbe rake hnving the long` teeth, which is fixed in the position shown by Fig. 3 When used for making,- hay and in the position indicated by Fig. 4 when adapted to raking only, the other raketeeth beingelosed up around the axle and held in this position by any suitable device. The

motion of the cylinder is here regulated by 2L pin. h, projecting;` from the pulleyV L, which strikes the hooked piece k on the shoe H, and prevents theeylinderfl'otn tnrnno. The arms F F are used to raise and lower the cylinder to relieve t-he rake ot' its load.

What I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is-

Arrnnging the-relies in radi-(il slots between the two drum-heads K and fixing them therein, so as to serve thepurpose of a hay-making, and, by a simple change, a hay-raking' machine, substantially in the manner herein set; forth.

J. C. STODDARD.

Witnesses:

M. M. LIVINGSTON, MICH. HUGHES. 

